Push-lever for water-closet tanks.



R. E. CRANE. PUSH LEVER FOR WATER CLOSET TANKS.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1909. 977,937.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

RAYMOND E. CRANE, 0F CAMERON, WEST VIRGINIA.

PUSH-LEVER FOR WATER-CLOSET TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application fi1ed August 5, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. Serial No. 511,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND E. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cameron, in the county of Marshall and State of West Virginia, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Push- Levers for Water-Closet Tanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to water closets in which the tank is of the low down type, being arranged immediately back of the seat and provided at one face with an operating device to effect the flushing of the closet.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved operating device in the form of a push lever which can be easily and conveniently operated by the back of the person using the closet as well as by hand.

The novel features of the invention will appear from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a I tank provided with a push-lever constructed and mounted in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the lever and the nipple or bushing in which it is pivoted.

The tank A, which in practice is applied to the wall back of the water closet seat, can be of any preferred form. The improved push-lever attachment B is preferably located at the upper part of the front face of the tank, where it is easily accessible. The attachment comprisesa lever 2'), preferably made in one piece, that is pivoted intermediate of its ends, by means of a transverse pivot-pin b, in a nipple or bushing 0 threaded exteriorly and adapted to be secured in an opening formed at the desired point in the front wall of the tank. The ends of the pivot-pin are received in diametrically disposed openings in the wall of the nipple intermediate of the ends of the latter. The nipple is detachably clamped in position by means of a jam-nut 0' that is screwed on the nipple and forced against the inner face of the tank wall, thereby bringing the front flange or rim 0 of the nipple into close engagement with the front face of said wall. In this way the lever b is firmly pivoted in the wall of the tank and may bereadily detached therefrom by unscrewing the nut 0 and removing the nipple.

The inner end of the lever .7) may be provided with an eye 6 for the connection of a link cl that forms part of the valve-lifting device of the flushing mechanism, but it is to be understood that the particular form of this end of the lever is immaterial. The forward or outer end of the lever is preferably formed with a curved and flattened thumb-piece b by means of which the lever, and consequently the flushing mechanism, may be conveniently operated.

The opening 0 in the front of the nipple is preferably of elongated form, to accommodate the upward and downward movement of the push-lever; it is relatively narrow and practically covered by the thumb-piece 72 that is immediately adjacent the same, so that the pivot-pin b is not visible when the tank is installed. Of course the nipple is of larger cross section than the lever b, so that the latter may have the requisite pivotal movement. Too great a movement of the lever, however, will be prevented by its abutment against the nipple, as will be understood, and this is a further important advantage of the device.

It will be noted that the fiat thumb-piece is directed obliquely with respect to the lever b, so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, said thumb-piece will be directed downwardly and outwardly from the front surface of the tank. In other words, the lower extremity of the thumb piece is farther away from the front wall of the tank than is the upper extremity. In this way, it is possible to operate the attachment, if desired, merely by the pressure of the back against the lower extremity of the thumb-piece, which will push said extremity toward the tank wall and thereby raise the inner end of the lever 19. This operation would not be possible if the thumb-piece formed a mere continuation of the lever, being alined therewith, nor if the thumb-piece were normal to the longitudinal axis of the lever. The pressure of the back of a person using the closet will always be directed substantially parallel with the lever b, and in neither of the cases mentioned could the proper swinging movement of the aforesaid lever on its pivot be produced.

It is obvious that one or more washers or gaskets may be used in mounting the nipple or bushing in the tank, but these are not absolutely necessary. Of course the nipple is located above the level of the Water in the tank, so that there is no leakage.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction shown, I claim 2- 1. As an article of manufacture, an attachmentfor Water closet tanks, comprising a nipple or bushin means to secure the same in the tank Wall and a push-lever operating in said nipple and having at its for- Ward or operating end a flattened thumbpiece immediately adjacent to and overlying the opening at the end of the nipple.

2. As an article of manufacture, an attachment for Water closet tanks, comprising 15 lever immediately adjacent to and overlying 20 the opening at the end of the nipple and directed obliquely to the axis of said lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses. R. E. CRANE. lVitnesses G. C. CoNAWAY, M. J. LANDES. 

